CM Tutorials

This post should have been written a long time back. But I guess, I have loads of reasons to list, to cover up for my laziness!!

Phase III of med school was long awaited at the beginning of the year, known as the Honeymoon Professional (...... don't go by the literal/ uncensored meaning, I just wanted to convey that Phase III was supposed to be the most relaxing and easiest of all Profs), so the year ahead had loads to offer. I felt, maybe now I would get a chance to fill up on my vocab, follow a regular exercise regime, enhance my culinary skills, increase my social interactions, tour the entire island, keep myself updated about movies and along with it, balance studies.

First half of the year went fine, with me able to accomplish at least the latter part of the above list....(... the study bit I'm not too positive about, though)!!! :-D
As soon as, I returned from vacations in July, I was welcomed by Preventive and social Medicine(PSM) / Community Medicine (CM) TUTORIALS the following day! And after that it was the same old story every Monday. The entire course was to be covered under the series of Tutorials. So Sunday, the laziest day of the week, was spent studying CM.
At first, the momentum was high when most of us would read up the required bit and come for the tutorial. But slowly the number kept declining. After say 4-5 tuts there were only a hand full who came totally prepared. I wonder..... if our teachers were aware of this fact.
I remember, our tutor once remarked ,“ Yours, is a very co operative batch!!”
Well, it sure was, at least during the tutorials. Left, right, front, back we prompted against our turn, from every part of the lecture room. It was as if the question was addressed to one student, but all others in the row felt responsible to answer. ROTFL!!

Those were some crazy, fun filled memorable hours of my college life.... memories that I never wish to part with. The occasional goof ups would put us in bouts of laughter!!....

Back benches were booked before hand. The two front rows on the right were almost never filled, only the late unlucky souls would occasionally land there. Mine was the aisle seat ,5th row from front, thanks to Nirv* & Fad who reserved the place. We have had some of the best times there. Every time we turned up for the tutorial, we would over emphasize the fact that we weren't prepared; prayed that our turn won't come; hoped the teacher won't turn up; wished that there was a power failure!! We looked for all possible alternatives. You must be wondering why we didn't bunk the tuts in order to save ourselves from the torture of the apprehension...well...many reasons...

Firstly, we require certain percentage of attendance in the lectures and as most of us were short of it.... had no choice but to attend

Secondly,...hmm.... tough one.... thought I could at least list 10 reasons, but seems an ordeal even to list five!! So coming back to the second reason.... maybe we were scared to bunk?! Didn't have any other interesting plans?! Felt responsible to attend the tut for whatsoever reason!? Wanted to make others laugh!?Felt like giving company to a friend!? For giving proxy!....nah,..... not possible...our tutors were quite vigilante! Or I guess some just wanted to impress the tutors with their regularity to boost up their grades!?? And some incorrigible lads( * personal joke) who wanted to be laughed at!???

Finally, a few who were actually interested in community health and wanted to imbibe the essential principles!!

Before the start of the 1hr tut, assurance was seeked from neighboring friends, for prompting.
There was never a time I remember, when someone sat without having a go at the answer.
If he/she didn't have a clue.... there were plenty for rescue!!
Books were randomly sneaked opened..!!
The probable questions were discussed, before turn.
Sometimes, every word uttered was borrowed.
But on some occasions not even friends could help, for there were questions about which none of our friendly neighbour had a clue :-p
And some answers came out from mere guesses.
Though whatever be the apprehension level before the tut, the hour following was a fun filled hilarious fight of the nibble wits amongst us.
With the ...” Ahhh...Ahhh... Sir/ Ma'am......ahhh...ahhh” , transforming into full sentences and finally metamorphosing into the answer!!!!

Most of us, though didn't take the tutorials that seriously but I'm sure learned a lot from them. Thanks to the unfailing patience of our tutors and the lively, cheerful atmosphere created by us.

Thanks guys...... for the spontaneous jokes, hilarious answers, shared wisdom. And the prompting of course :-D

ENT Posting!

28/07/06

The last day of ENT posting! Time flew by so fast I didn't even realize that the posting has come to an end. But whatever be the case I really enjoyed the posting. Had real fun :-) be it the chit chats in the conference room, wards, long discussions about the perforation in the tympanic membrane or teaching Brinda the meaning of BC! Manas's claim to be a Bharmachari & Madeven's disbelief in it!!Nrupen's nonsensical but funny jokes. Nirvana's rock solid attitude. Shruti's understanding nature of a Saviour.....on those countless occasions when no one wanted to bell the cat...the cat being Dr ****!..... and taking those histories and examinations. Sahil for giving everyone but himself the opportunity of presenting the history! Ackmez pushing everyone aside....except the doc, of course, for his go at the otoscope. Asha's silent claim to fame. And finally not to forget me for my insuppressible laughter!
Well, it was sure fun all the way but I did learn quite many things too. The doctors were so motivated to teach us and so were we to learn. We saw numerous cases of otitis exerna, sialadenitis,epistaxis. Otoscopy is sure fun if one learns how to do it and thanks to the endless opportunities we got to use the otoscope we did make sense out of it. Ok can you believe..... I saw a perforation in the tympanic membrane....now thats something right. Oh boy! I felt elated and excited.

Amongst the first few cases that we saw was post op patient of Modified Radical Mastoidectomy, the posterior meatal wall had been removed and meatoplasty had been done so we could thus see the tympanic membrane with the naked eye! The way Dr R******* explained the three types was just amazing. The CT was quite helpful for us in understanding the extent of damage caused by the malignant Otitis externa. The patient who was Brinda's primary school teacher, also had facial nerve palsy! Then there was a case of mastoiditis with meningitis but thank god the signs of meningeal irritation were not elicit able.

We saw many cases of sinusitis and also a case of frontal mucocele. Scalloping of frontal sinus was absent in that case. Amongst the operative procedures we just saw incision and drainage of post auricular abscess. Nasopharyngoscopy was also amongst a few things we saw.

But at the end of the day, what was most awaited was our rush to the ouchi vendor! Oh! That was bliss, for our hungry stomachs and heavy overloaded heads. We used to guttle those ouchi. But near about the end of the posting this rush was now there to get hold of a completed practical file! Asha, hands down, I guess wins the prize for it..

Oh! I so much wished to explore Vacoas during this posting! And finally the day came & we played hookey. Shruti, Nirvana & I set out. What began as a sultry day turned out to be the wettest one of the month! It was pouring like hell but nothing could get our spirits down. So after, say about a few minutes of cribbing, grumbling, kicking we finally reached. Though we didn't have much time on our hands never the less made proper use of it. Scanned through the array of books at what can be called the largest bookstore in Maurice. And not forgetting to mention the pizza we had. The way back was also eventful with rain drenching us. And were welcomed by a surprised lot, devoured not by jealousy but by horror!

Now, it was that time of the posting that we had to get our (completed & incompleted) files signed. Thus, there we were running after each other & the docs to win the race against time. And I'm so happy, glad and proud to tell ya that most of us managed to!
Then there was an excursion to the audiology room. Here I want you to note that I'm calling it an excursion because in true sense it was one. You had to be present there to appreciate the usage of this term. Though along with the fun we also got to see BERA, which was quite fascinating. We were all ears to the doc when he explained the pure tone audiometry. What had seemed like Greek got meaning into it.

Thanks! to my batch mates, had it not been for you guys....the posting would never have been all that fun...

So it was a roller coaster ride. Had lots to learns and lots more to laugh away...... :-D